melodramaticatlastpointedtheway。Hewouldresign。Whatanadmirablemodeofrecapturingtheconfidenceofhisdisappointedfriends，carryingouttheiraimtodisrupttheCabinet!ButhecouldnotdoaboldthinglikethisinSeward’sway——atastroke，withouthesitation。WhenhecalledonLincolnthenextdaywiththeresignationinhishand，hewavered。IthappenedthatWelleswasintheroom。
“Chasesaidhehadbeenpainfullyaffected，“isWelles’
account，“bythemeetinglastevening，whichwasasurprise，andaftersomenotveryexplicitremarksastohowhewasaffected，informedthePresidenthehadpreparedhisresignationoftheofficeofSecretaryoftheTreasury。’Whereisit，’saidthePresident，quickly，hiseyelightingupinamoment。’Ibroughtitwithme，’saidChase，takingthepaperfromhispocket。’Iwroteitthismorning。’’Letmehaveit，’
saidthePresident，reachinghislongarmandfingerstowardChase，whoheldonseeminglyreluctanttopartwiththeletterwhichwassealedandwhichheapparentlyhesitatedtosurrender。Somethingfurtherhewishedtosay，butthePresidentwaseageranddidnotperceiveit，buttookandhastilyopenedtheletter。
“’This，’saidhe，lookingtowardsmewithatriumphallaugh，’cutstheGordianknot。’AnairofsatisfactionspreadoverhiscountenancesuchasIhadnotseenforsometime。’Icandisposeofthissubjectnowwithoutdifficulty，’headded，asheturnedinhischair；’Iseemywayclear。’“[12]InLincoln’sdistressduringthisepisode，therewasmuchbesideshisanxietyforthefateofatrustedminister。HefelthemustnotpermithimselftobedrivenintothearmsoftheVindictivesbydisgracingSeward。SewardhadafollowingwhichLincolnneededButtoproclaimtotheworldhisconfidenceinSewardwithoutatthesametimeoffsettingitbysomedisplayofconfidence，equallysignificantintheenemiesofSeward，thiswouldhaveamountedtocommittinghimselftoSeward’sfollowingalone。Andthatwouldnotdo。Shouldeitherfactionappeartodominatehim，Lincolnfeltthat“thewholegovernmentmustcavein。Itcouldnotstand，couldnotholdwater；thebottomwouldbeout。“[13]